ISLAMABAD – Chief of the South African Air Force (SAAF), Lieutenant General Wiseman Simo Mbambo, paid an official visit to Pakistan and held key talks with PAF Chief Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu at Air Headquarters. The visit focused on deepening defence cooperation, training collaboration, and technical partnerships between the two air forces.
Upon arrival, Lt Gen Mbambo received a Guard of Honour from the Pakistan Air Force (PAF). During discussions, Air Chief Marshal Sidhu emphasised the strong historical relationship between Pakistan and South Africa, grounded in shared values and aspirations. He offered PAF’s support for training and capacity-building initiatives aimed at boosting SAAF’s aerial capabilities.
Lt Gen Mbambo praised the PAF’s operational readiness, especially its multi-domain warfare abilities and commitment to maintaining credible deterrence. He showed interest in revamping SAAF’s training framework with Pakistan’s assistance and requested participation of South African officers as observers in future PAF operational exercises.
Another major focus was technical cooperation, particularly around aircraft maintenance. Impressed by PAF’s engineering infrastructure, Lt Gen Mbambo proposed that Pakistan carry out inspection and maintenance of South Africa’s C-130 fleet, recognising it as a cost-effective and efficient solution.
Both sides expressed a strong desire to institutionalise defence relations, with this visit expected to pave the way for greater military cooperation, joint training, and deeper strategic alignment between the PAF and SAAF.